Farmhouse Ales

Stillwater & Brewer’s Art Collaborate

Stillwater Artisanal Ales is collaborating with Brewer’s Art based in Baltimore, Maryland.  Just recently Brewer’s Art worked on another beer with Flying Dog – Table For Two.  They are a microbrewery and restaurant in Baltimore, MD.   This sure to Continue Reading →

Sierra Nevada’s Bonaroo Beer

Sierra Nevada Brewing has created a draft only beer for Bonnaroo this year. Bonnaroo is a music & arts festival that is taking place in Manchester, Tennessee June 9-12, 2011. Headlining music acts include Widespread Panic, Arcade Fire, Continue Reading →

Allagash Fluxus ’11 Style = Farmhouse

Fluxus: (fluk-suhs) -noun, Latin.

a flowing or flow
a continuous change, passage or movement

That is exactly what Fluxus is — a beer of continuous change.  2009 was saison with sweet potatoes, black pepper and extra hops.  2010, an imperial stout brewed with Continue Reading →

CASK ALERT: Bruery 7 Grain Saison

[UPDATE 12/17] – It has been discovered that the cask tonight  is actually The Bruery’s 7 Grain Saison.  Made  using barley,oats,wheat,rye,corn,rice and spelt.  A bit less abv than rue – 5.5% ABV.

The Porter Beer Bar taps a cask of The Continue Reading →

Brooklyn Soriachi Ace Debuts Today!

Quick recap of the Brooklyn Brewmaster’s Series.  Cookie Jar Porter. Black Ops.  Dark Matter.  There are more, but those are a few that have hit Atlanta.  Next up – Sorachi Ace.

Sorachi Ace is a farmhouse ale, brewed with a rare Continue Reading →

Seasonal Return: Jolly Pumpkin ES Bam

Released each April by Jolly Pumpkin Brewing (Dexter, MI) is E.S. Bam.  Bam is a farmhouse ale with a big hop bill, and like other Jolly Pumpkin offerings is unpasteurized and unfiltered.

E.S. Bam is a spin off of Jolly’s year Continue Reading →

Great Divide Colette Returns

You may or may not have seen this seasonal offering from Great Divide over the weekend.  Colette is a saison from Great Divide, back for its second year.

Colette is a brewed as an homage to Belgian farmhouse workers.  It is Continue Reading →

Posted in Coming Soon, Stillwater Artisanal Ales

Stillwater & Brewer’s Art Collaborate

Stillwater Artisanal Ales is collaborating with Brewer’s Art based in Baltimore, Maryland.  Just recently Brewer’s Art worked on another beer with Flying Dog – Table For Two.  They are a microbrewery and restaurant in Baltimore, MD.   This sure to be tasty beer is a funky farmhouse ale with rye & specialty spices.

It’s my pleasure to present a collaboration with The Brewers Art.  A Baltimore institution that helped to pioneer the Belgian beer movement in the States.  Brewed with a combination of Spelt & Rye, accented with a blend of Heather, Honeysuckle and Hyssop.  The result is a rustic farmhouse ale displaying earthy tones & floral characteristics while maintaining intricate balance.

Style: Farmhouse Ale

Availability: 750ml bottles, draft.  Full Stillwater distribution network.

6.8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in New Releases, Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada’s Bonaroo Beer

Sierra Nevada Brewing has created a draft only beer for Bonnaroo this year. Bonnaroo is a music & arts festival that is taking place in Manchester, Tennessee June 9-12, 2011. Headlining music acts include Widespread Panic, Arcade Fire, Eminem & more.

Joining the long list of musical acts is a farmhouse ale brewed by the Chico, California based brewery. If you’re headed to Bonnaroo, look for it…

Style: Farmhouse Ale

4.8% ABV

<Bonnaroo>

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Allagash Brewing, Coming Soon

Allagash Fluxus ’11 Style = Farmhouse


Fluxus: (fluk-suhs) -noun, Latin.

  1. a flowing or flow
  2. a continuous change, passage or movement

That is exactly what Fluxus is — a beer of continuous change.  2009 was saison with sweet potatoes, black pepper and extra hops.  2010, an imperial stout brewed with cacoa nibs.  2011 will have you thirsty for a French-style farmhouse ale.

Availability: 750ml bottles, corked & caged. Draft

Arrival: Typically June. One time brew.

Cellar? Yes, up to 2 years (per Allagash)

8% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Casks, The Bruery

CASK ALERT: Bruery 7 Grain Saison

[UPDATE 12/17] – It has been discovered that the cask tonight  is actually The Bruery’s 7 Grain Saison.  Made  using barley,oats,wheat,rye,corn,rice and spelt.  A bit less abv than rue – 5.5% ABV.

The Porter Beer Bar taps a cask of The Bruery’s 7 Grain Saison.  This is a specialty offering by The Bruery, and like their other saisons,  is unfiltered, and cask conditioned.

Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale

Taste Expectations: Grains FTW! Leave a comment with what you taste!

Cask taps 6pm, 12/17/10

Porter Beer Bar
1156 Euclid Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30307

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Brooklyn Brewing, New Releases

Brooklyn Soriachi Ace Debuts Today!

Quick recap of the Brooklyn Brewmaster’s Series.  Cookie Jar Porter. Black Ops.  Dark Matter.  There are more, but those are a few that have hit Atlanta.  Next up – Sorachi Ace.

Sorachi Ace is a farmhouse ale, brewed with a rare unique hop Sorachi ace.  It was developed in Japan at Sapporo Brewery in 1988.  Ace is a cross between British Brewers Gold and Saaz hop varieties.  This hop is very lemony in smell and flavor.  Unlike other offerings by Brooklyn, Sorachi Ace features only this hop.  Ace is unfiltered, uses a proprietary Belgian yeast strain, and is dry hopped also with Sorachi.  Sorachi Ace is refermented in the bottle.

Ingredients –

Hops – Oregon Grown Sorachi Ace

Malts – German Two Row Pilsner

Yeast – Brooklyn grown Belgian

Taste Expectations – Lemon zest, lemongrass.  Expect floral tones, with some spice and fruit.  A nice clean saison.

Availability – 750ml Bottles, corked and caged.  Bottle conditioned.  No draft offerings.

6.5% ABV

Be the first to try Sorachi Ace free! Today at Hop City’s free tasting at Octane Coffee!  5:30 – 7:30

Octane Coffee
1009-b Marietta Street NW
Atlanta, GA (404) 815-9886


by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Seasonal Return

Seasonal Return: Jolly Pumpkin ES Bam

Released each April by Jolly Pumpkin Brewing (Dexter, MI) is E.S. Bam.  Bam is a farmhouse ale with a big hop bill, and like other Jolly Pumpkin offerings is unpasteurized and unfiltered.

E.S. Bam is a spin off of Jolly’s year round offering Bam Biere, which is a lighter farmhouse ale.

Jolly Pumpkin describes E.S. Bam –

“Extra Special Farmhouse Ale
A Bam celebration of excess. More malt, more hops, same vivacious personality.”

Taste Expectations – Caramel malts, with some sour notes.  Saison style funk from the yeast, with pine and citrus hops across the palate.

Availability – Seasonally in April.  750 ml Bottles.  Draft findings are rare. Estimated retail – $10

4.7% ABV

NOW TAPPING AT CYPRESS STREET! Thanks @gunslinger19!


by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Great Divide, Seasonal Return

Great Divide Colette Returns

You may or may not have seen this seasonal offering from Great Divide over the weekend.  Colette is a saison from Great Divide, back for its second year.

Colette is a brewed as an homage to Belgian farmhouse workers.  It is just that scenario that farmhouse ales evolved.  Read my previous post about the history of this ale HERE. This saison is brewed with barley, wheat, and rice at high temperatures, with a 4 yeast strain combination.

Tasting notes — In Colette you will note some spicy wheat tones, with orange and coriander.  There are lots of fruity tones in this farmhouse ale, no doubt from the yeast strains used in the brewing.  Slightly sweet, with a little bit of banana flavors.  Very light and drinkable, great for the coming warm months.

Hopefully you now have some familiarity with this seasonal release.  Last year Colette debuted in 22oz bottles and limited draft releases under the name Saison.  This year Collette is found in 12oz 6pks and expanded draft offerings.   Not entirely sure why GD chose the name Colette.  However, looking into the origin of the name Colette — it means “People of Victory.”  As this is a tribute to Belgian farmers, could be appropriate?  Great Divide brews this for 2 months a year, so give it a try while its around.

7.3% ABV

by Reid Ramsay